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Former Blackburn player guilty of making homophobic gesture

Colin Kazim-Richards has been found guilty of making a homophobic gesture Credit: PA Images

Former Blackburn Rovers footballer Colin Kazim-Richards has been found guilty of making a homophobic gesture at a match while playing against one of his previous clubs.

The 27-year-old claimed he was bantering with the crowd when he allegedly made a homophobic gesture towards them while playing against Brighton and Hove Albion, a court has heard.

But magistrate Darren Reynolds sitting at Brighton Magistrates' Court, told the footballer they accepted the evidence the four prosecution witnesses had given them.

Mr Reynolds said: "We find that these gestures were insulting and believe that you were aware that such gestures would be insulting."

Kazim-Richards was fined £750, ordered to pay £620 court costs and a £75 victim surcharge after being found guilty of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour, within the sight or hearing of a person, likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.